The government’s commitment to deliver the secondary legislation required for farmers to grow precision-bred crops has been welcomed by a major project.
During the recent Oxford Farming Conference, the government pledged to give the green light for farmers in England to grow precision-bred crops by the end of March.
Speaking to delegates, Defra Secretary Steve Reed said precision breeding offered "huge potential to transform the plant breeding sector".
The legislation would 'unlock' this technology to allow farmers to grow crops that "are more nutritious, resistant to pests and disease, resilient to climate change, and that benefit the environment".
The Genetic Technologies (Precision Breeding) Act passed in 2023, and the secondary legislation will mean that crops developed using these techniques, such as gene editing, will be able to enter the food chain.
Farming groups who spearhead the PROBITY project – which is bringing gene-edited cereal varieties into trials on farms – welcomed the announcement.
Professor Nigel Halford of Rothamsted Research, who leads the three year project, said it was 'great news' that the government was moving forward with this.
“Many parts of the world are way ahead of us on precision breeding, and we need to catch up," he explained.
While countries in Asia and the Americas are ahead of the UK of this technology, the new act will create some competitive advantage – for farmers in England at least – within Europe.
However, without the necessary secondary legislation it would be meaningless as farmers wouldn’t know if they would be able to sell crops created through precision breeding.
Tom Allen-Stevens, an Oxfordshire farmer and founder of the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN), which leads the project, welcomed the news.
However, he said: “Our concern now is that the legislation comes into effect in time, to enable us to progress our trials, planned to start this autumn.
"These trials are essential if farmers are to assess whether this technology will deliver the benefits expected.”
BOFIN leads the consortium which includes Rothamsted Research, John Innes Centre, Dyson Farming, UK Agri-Tech Centre and First Milk, among others.
